Legal Insights
Plain-language guides and case briefs on Philippine law — researched from the firm's law library of 184,000+ statutes, Supreme Court decisions, and agency issuances, and written so non-lawyers can understand and act on them.
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Enforcing a Final Disbarment Ruling: The Doctrine of Immutability of Judgment in A.C. No. 12880
The Supreme Court enforces a final disbarment decision, citing the doctrine of immutability of judgment and holding a lawyer in contempt for defiance.
Judicial Temperance: Upholding Courtroom Decorum and Judicial Conduct
Cañeda v. Menchavez explains why a judge who loses his temper and displays a firearm in court faces administrative discipline for unbecoming conduct.
Disbarment for Misusing Blank Checks: Dishonesty and Abuse of Authority
A lawyer who filled up borrowers' blank checks and filed baseless criminal cases was disbarred for gross misconduct and dishonesty.
Breach OF Trust Disbarment FOR Attorneys Misappropriation OF Client Property
Defining Regular Employment: The Case of Dealco Farms and the Comboys
The Supreme Court clarifies the test for regular employment under Philippine labor law, emphasizing the employer's business nature and the employee's role.
Attorney-Client Privilege: Examining the Boundaries of Confidentiality and Professional Duty
A disbarment case clarifies when attorney-client privilege exists and why courts defer to pending civil cases.
Forged Deeds and Buyer Beware: Protecting Land Titles in the Philippines
A disbarment case reveals how forged deeds and unpaid balances can put Philippine land titles at risk, and why buyers must verify.
Attorney-Client Relationship and Disbarment: When Personal Transactions Do Not Trigger Professional Liability
Supreme Court clarifies that free legal advice incidental to personal dealings does not establish attorney-client relationship for disbarment purposes.
Voluntary Surrender of Tenancy Rights: Landicho v. Sia Explained
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled on voluntary surrender of tenancy rights, farm helper claims, and prescription in Landicho v. Sia.
Child Abuse Verbal Threats AND Physical Harm Constitute Violations OF R A NO 7610
Finality of Judgment in Disbarment Cases: What Lawyers and Clients Should Know
A disbarred lawyer's attempt to reopen his case fails, as the Supreme Court enforces the doctrine of finality of judgment and cites him for indirect contempt.
Treachery and Unlicensed Firearms Raise Murder Penalty in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how treachery and unlicensed firearms affect murder liability, penalties, and damages.
Public Office Ethics Improper Firearm Discharge AND Limits OF Misconduct Claims
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on constructive dismissal, retirement age, and limits of employer misconduct claims.
When a Lawyer's Private Misconduct Warrants Disbarment: The Arnobit Case
The Supreme Court disbarred a lawyer for abandoning his wife and children to cohabit with another woman, reaffirming that good moral character is a continuing requirement for the practice of law.
When Lawyers Fall Short: Disbarment for Gross Immoral Conduct
The Supreme Court disbarred a lawyer for abandoning his wife and children to cohabit with another woman, reaffirming that good moral character is a continuing requirement for membership in the bar.
Pharmacists' Negligence: The High Standard of Care in Dispensing Medicine
When a pharmacist gives the wrong medicine, that mistake is negligence. The Supreme Court explains the high standard of care for drugstores in Mercury Drug v. De Leon.
Due Process and Public Interest: When Technicalities Yield in Land Disputes
A disbarment case clarifies when a lawyer's honest errors in land reconstitution cases are not professional misconduct.
DAR Authority Over Land Conversion Disputes: Lessons from Polo Coconut
The Supreme Court ruled that local reclassification cannot remove farmland from agrarian reform coverage without DAR conversion approval.
Election Gun Ban vs Illegal Firearm Possession: Avoiding Double Conviction
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a person can be convicted of illegal firearm possession during an election gun ban period.
Upholding Ethical Conduct: Infidelity as Grounds for Attorney Disbarment in the Philippines
The Supreme Court rules on infidelity as grounds for attorney disbarment, clarifying ethical standards for lawyers and judges in the Philippines.
Tenant or Laborer: Resolving Land Disputes and Compensation Rights in Agrarian Reform
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when farm workers are tenants, not laborers, and how compensation agreements affect agrarian reform disputes.
Deceitful Practices by Lawyers: When Suspension and Disbarment Apply
The Supreme Court clarifies when lawyers face suspension or disbarment for deceitful conduct, citing a case of forged documents and dishonest estate settlement.
Fishpond Exemption and Farmworker Security of Tenure After Lease Expiration
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on whether fishpond farmworkers retain security of tenure after a civil law lessee's lease expires.
Land Reclassification Does Not Automatically Strip Tenant Rights, Says SC
Supreme Court clarifies that reclassifying agricultural land to residential use does not automatically divest tenant-farmers of their security of tenure rights.